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The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

Posts by Alvin Snyder

THE FAILURES AND POSSIBILITIES OF AU PAIRS AS PUBLIC DIPLOMATS
FEB 22, 2006 - 1:42PM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
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Cultural and educational exchange programs are effective public diplomacy tools because they enrich both those who go abroad and the societies they visit.

Right?

That good intention may not be the primary motivation behind the au pair childcare program the United States facilitates. This mismanaged program is being exploited and turned into more of a profitable business than cultural experience.

Au pair, French for "on par," means that the young person is on par with the American family. Young women ages 18-26 come from all around the world to care for children, become part of an American family and go... FULL TEXT
 
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AL JAZEERA: ‘DEFENDING FREEDOM’ OR PROMOTING ITSELF?
FEB 21, 2006 - 7:32PM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
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Al Jazeera held its “2nd Aljazeera Forum” Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 in its headquarter city of Doha, Qatar. The conference was titled “Defending Freedom, Defining Responsibility,” but its goal seemed to be to trash U.S. media and celebrate everything Al Jazeera.

Part of the agenda of this year’s conclave was apparently to promote the oft-delayed launch of Al Jazeera International’s (AJI) new English-language service, now pushed back to May, and to quash stories that the new channel is distancing itself from the home Arabic channel.

Prior to the meeting, AJI had stated specifically in its press information that it... FULL TEXT
 
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PRIVATE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
JAN 30, 2006 - 12:23AM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
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With the abrupt resignation of broadcast entrepreneur Norman Pattiz from his key public diplomacy position with the U.S. government's Broadcasting Board of Governors, America's effort to communicate its story to audiences in the Middle East has lost a decisive advocate.

This newest disappointment is in contrast to the vibrant American private sector that is forging ahead in the effort to improve the image of the United States abroad. Some corporations are on board with public diplomacy because they want to build relationships and foster communication between cultures; most understand it just makes good business sense.

A fresh new surge of... FULL TEXT
 
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AL JAZEERA’S MIDDLE EAST POPULARITY WANES AS ITS NORTH AMERICAN SIBLING WANTS TO LEAVE HOME
JAN 19, 2006 - 1:09PM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
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Worldcasting has obtained exclusive comparative independent television ratings that document a steady decline in Al Jazeera's popularity among viewers in Saudi Arabia over a one-year period. That country is the most important television market in the region; 70 percent of the region's television advertising is spent there.

These consecutive 12-month ratings measure actual daily viewership of Middle East transnational television channels and not only bode ill for Al Jazeera's marquee Arabic channel; they also impact plans for Al Jazeera International, the network's new English-language service scheduled to debut in only two months.

In what can be interpreted as a move... FULL TEXT
 
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GENERAL ABIZAID SPOKE AT THE NAVAL WAR COLLEGE: TRUE OR FALSE?
DEC 29, 2005 - 1:07PM PDT
Posted by Alvin Snyder
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Did the commander of the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) really say those things about the media, and the war in Iraq? If so, why the big secret?

The remarks attributed to General John Abizaid that mysteriously surfaced on the Internet and were sent anonymously to media outlets were said to have been from the General’s recent address at the Naval War College, date unknown.

The speech was not (and is not) mentioned on the web sites of either CENTCOM or the Naval War College. It was one of the great mysteries of the holiday season in the blogosphere as... FULL TEXT
 
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